


Of Experiments and Exhaustion

by AbsoluteTrash22



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Angst, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:33:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24863866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbsoluteTrash22/pseuds/AbsoluteTrash22
Summary: "To say that Varian felt awful would be a hilarious understatement.He had been feeling off for a few days but thought nothing of it, he always felt like something was wrong anyway, but now there was no denying that the ache in his stomach wasn’t just hunger, or that the heat radiating from his body and sending rivulets of sweat down his face, overexertion. He was undeniably sick."Varian is sick, that won't stop him or Rapunzel from anything, or will it?
Comments: 10
Kudos: 96





	Of Experiments and Exhaustion

To say that Varian felt awful would be a hilarious understatement. 

He had been feeling off for a few days but thought nothing of it, he always felt like something was wrong anyway, but now there was no denying that the ache in his stomach wasn’t just hunger, or that the heat radiating from his body and sending rivulets of sweat down his face, overexertion. He was undeniably sick. 

But of course, Varian would ignore every last symptom until he couldn’t anymore, just like always. Only this time he was working as the royal engineer in the palace. 

Varian was working on an invention for Corona, getting fed up with the tremors that would rack his thin frame, leaving him indisposed and dropping his tools. He groaned in annoyance and maybe, a little bit in pain. 

Varian wiped the sweat off his face, shivering. He was freezing but still felt like his brain was cooking in his skull. He sighed in exhaustion, the sigh eventually turning into a coughing fit that scorched his lungs with an agonizing fire. 

When the fit subsided, Varian’s vision blurred, the world a smudge of colors. He grabbed onto the lab table that he was working on, his legs weak and unsteady. 

“You’re okay, you’ve got this.” Varian told himself for the umpteenth time that day. He repeated the mantra over and over again as if it would magically make all of his symptoms go away. 

Once Varian’s vision cleared he let go of his desk and got back to work, or at least tried to, it was pretty hard to focus as his body shook with convulsions, and his stomach churned dangerously. 

With a low moan, he wrapped his arms around his abdomen, willing his nausea to pass. When it didn’t, he sunk to the floor whimpering. “Come on Varian. Y-you’ve got this.” Varian said, pulling himself off the floor. He quickly sat in a chair near his desk, placing his burning and all too light head on his desk. 

He sighed, comforted by the coolness on his skin. He was still shivering, teeth chattering, but his skin was on fire. He placed his head in the palms of his hands for a moment, nausea and dizziness gripping his entire being. 

He stayed this way until he heard the door to the lab open. Upon hearing the creak of the door he quickly lifted his head up and grabbed something to make it look like he was working.

“Hey, Varian!” The voice belonged to princess Rapunzel, the living embodiment of sunshine. Varian heard the soft patter of her bare feet on the floor as she padded closer to his desk. 

“Oh! Rapunzel! H-hey!” Varian stuttered out, cringing at the way his hoarse voice cracked. He did not look at Rapunzel in fear of her noticing something was wrong.

“How’s the invention coming along?” Rapunzel asked, looking over Varian’s shoulder at the slew of messy notes and scattered tools. 

“It’s um… g-great!” Varian said through gritted teeth. He resisted the urge to whine as he felt coursing white pain bounce around in his head. 

Rapunzel smiled widely. “That’s wonderful!” Rapunzel placed her hand on Varian’s shoulder. At the sudden touch, Varian jumped and Rapunzel giggled quietly. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you!” Rapunzel said sweetly. Varian only shrugged feeling his throat tighten with the threat of a coughing fit. Rapunzel noticed him tense. “You okay?” She asked, concerned. Varian nodded at this, still afraid to speak. 

Rapunzel felt like something was off with the young alchemist but she wasn’t sure what, she was sure about one thing though; Varian needed a break. 

“Hey, you’ve been down here awhile… why don’t you join me for a walk?” Rapunzel suggested, beaming. Varian knew he wouldn’t be able to handle a walk so he quickly thought up an excuse. 

“Oh, I uh- I have a lot of work to d-do so I can’t!” Varian stammered. He felt a tickle at the back of his throat and deep in his lungs. He held his breath to avoid a fit of hacking. 

Rapunzel pouted. “Please? Just indulge me?” She pleaded, eyes wide. She wanted Varian out of the lab. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d even seen Varian out and about, which was concerning, to say the least. 

Varian couldn’t say no to Rapunzel, even though he really wanted to. He huffed and then nodded. Rapunzel squealed excitedly and grabbed Varian’s gloved hand, pulling him up. 

Varian stumbled, head reeling from the motion. He discreetly grabbed his chair until the world was steady. Rapunzel thankfully didn’t notice, too busy chatting about something, 

He released his tight grip on the chair and followed Rapunzel out of his lab, wheezing from the exertion of having to walk up the steps. He desperately tried not to cough but failed and a few painful and congested sounding coughs escaped. 

Rapunzel stopped dead in her tracks upon hearing the young alchemists choking. “Are you alright?” She turned around and rushed over to Varian’s side as he caught his breath. 

“M-me? Oh! Yeah! I’m fine, just uh dust from my lab!” Varian knew his excuse was terrible but it was the best he could think of with his hazy mind. He made sure to avoid direct eye contact with Rapunzel. 

Rapunzel seemed skeptical at first but then nodded, turned back around and continued walking, babbling about something that just sounded like static in Varian’s head. 

Rapunzel would glance back to Varian every so often as they walked, his lack of conversation was worrying her. Varian always rambled about new inventions when he had the opportunity, but after 2 minutes of silence, Rapunzel was beginning to get anxious. 

“Varian?” Rapunzel's voice made Varian jump. His head was pounding and his vision was blurring. “Hm?” He looked up to her, shivering profusely. 

“You sure you’re okay? You’re really quiet.” Rapunzel said concern evident in her tone. She slowed her gait to allow Varian to catch up. 

“Mhm!” Varian couldn’t even see Rapunzel’s face anymore, his vision was getting darker by the minute. He was overwhelmed with heat but also freezing simultaneously. His head was pounding in time with his quickening heartbeat. Varian struggled not to groan as another wave of nausea pulsed through his stomach. 

“If you’re sure..” Rapunzel replied, uncertainly, but continuing to walk. 

Varian followed, his consciousness being clouded by ever-growing darkness and disorienting dizziness. He felt himself swaying with every step. The sweat pouring down his face sent shivers up and down his spine. His head felt like it was splitting open. 

Varian stopped walking, panting heavily. “I uh, Rapunzel?” Varian stuttered out, his words shaky. “I don’t… I think I-“ Varian’s vision was fading quickly. 

Rapunzel turned just in time to see Varian pitch forward, his face deprived of all color, except the scarlet flush on his cheeks. 

She quickly reached out, catching Varian before he could hit the ground. It was only now she realized how utterly ill he looked. 

She placed the back of her hand on his forehead, frowning worriedly at the heat that quickly warmed it. She then palmed his cheek, wincing when she felt the same heat that had radiated off his forehead, on her hand again.

“Oh Varian..” she cooed quietly, going to get help in carrying Varian to the infirmary.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
“No, no! It isn’t my fault I d-didn’t, I didn’t… it’s not my fault!” 

Rapunzel felt her chest tighten at Varian’s fevered mumblings, his voice sounded anguished, he was still hurting, he had told her that everything was fine, it obviously wasn’t. 

Rapunzel was pulled out of her thoughts by Varian waking with a strangled sob, followed by a pained moan. 

When Varian came to, he was immediately bombarded with pain and discomfort. His body felt heavy as lead, a stark contrast from the lightness of his head.

Despite the light feeling, he felt like someone was crushing his skull with a tight vice. He was dizzy and disoriented, he had no idea where he was. 

Varian looked around, the white walls of the infirmary were too bright, he whimpered and shielded his eyes with his arms. 

“Varian?” Rapunzel’s voice broke through the sound of his blood rushing in his ears. 

“R-Rapunzel? W-what? Where am I? What happened?” Varian sat up with a wince, coughing harshly into his fist. 

“The infirmary, you fainted, you’re burning up with fever. Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?” Rapunzel’s eyes held sadness and concern, it made Varian’s stomach twist. 

“I uh… I didn’t think it was a big deal. I’m fine! It’s nothing really…” Varian rubbed the back of his neck nervously. 

“Varian you passed out! It’s not nothing!” Rapunzel frowned. “You’re allowed to not feel well. You can tell me anything, you know that, right?” 

Varian didn’t want to tell Rapunzel anything, he didn’t deserve her kindness. “I know but…” he was cut off by a violent coughing fit that left him wheezing and struggling to catch his breath. 

Once Varian’s breathing was steady and he didn’t feel that he was at risk of fainting again, he spoke. “I… I didn’t want to bother you, I don’t deserve help after everything I did to you…” Varian looked away from the princess. 

“Oh, Varian.” Rapunzel pulled Varian into a tight hug. Varian was puzzled, she wasn’t mad at him? 

“Varian, you only did those things because you were hurting, I've forgiven you a long time ago, maybe it’s time you forgive yourself hmm?” Rapunzel smiled sadly. 

Varian didn’t know if it was the fever or just how awful he was feeling, but he buried his head into Rapunzel’s chest, sobbing. 

Rapunzel was taken aback by the outburst but comforted the boy nevertheless. She cooed soft reassurances to him until his sobbing was nothing more than small hiccups. 

When Varian finished crying he was exhausted. “I… I’m sorry princess, I don’t… I don’t know what happened I-“ 

Rapunzel shushed him gently. “It’s okay Varian, something tells me you needed that.” Rapunzel gave the alchemist’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “You should get some rest, you look absolutely exhausted.” 

Varian nodded, laying down and shutting his eyes. Rapunzel’s words echoing in his fuzzy mind. 

Rapunzel stood from the infirmary bed, but she was stopped by Varian’s hand grabbing her own. 

“Thank you, Rapunzel, for… for everything.” Varian’s voice was soft and weak, but he sounded peaceful. 

Rapunzel smiled. “Of course Varian, now get some rest.” 

Varian nodded and fell asleep, his dreams, for the first time in a year, sweet.


End file.
